The present invention relates to an actuation system for construction sets and especially for toy models such as toy models composed by building blocks.
In the Netherlands Patent Application No. 8204431, published on June 1, 1984, there is disclosed a driving system for toys comprising a continuously controllable driving unit including a flywheel power source, and flexible shaft transmitting rotary energy from the flywheel drive to an actuating unit in the toy. In addition to the transmission of rotary energy, by its core, the flexible shaft according to the afore-mentioned patent application also performs the functions of transmitting a translational control motion equally by translation displacement of its core and transmitting a rotational control motion by rotary displacement of its protective hose.
In the German Patent Application No. 22 25 239, published on Feb. 22, 1973, there is further disclosed a toy vehicle and drive means therefore which comprise a driving unit including a motor, a driving element and an actuating unit, the driving element being realized by a rigid shaft and the actuating unit including a device for converting the rotary motion of the shaft into a linear motion of a telescopic ladder of a fire brigade vehicle or a swivelling motion of a shovel of an excavator. These known driving systems for toys cannot be used for integration with the toy certain elements of which shall be actuated. They cannot be used universally with any type of toy and, in particular, they cannot be modified by the user to suit a specific toy model which has been constructed by the user as, for example, by means of known building blocks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuation system for toy models comprising a driving unit, an actuating unit and a flexible shaft connecting the actuating unit with the driving unit which can be used in practically any type of toy model in an integrated form excluding exterior power sources and transmission means.
A further object is to provide such an actuation system which can be easily adapted to toy models which may be modified by the user to construct a toy model of different type and function.
A still further object is to provide such an actuation system which can be used as a basis outfit for actuating parts of construction sets composed by known building blocks.
A further object also is to provide an actuation system of the kind referred to which offers the aspect of a realistic representation of known hydraulic actuation system at the smaller scale of toy models for exerting either rotational or translational motion in the absence of any pneumatic of hydraulic transmission means.